A Northern Irish man, Craig Ballentine, has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after posting a negative Google review about his former employer in Dubai. Ballentine, a 33-year-old care worker from Cookstown, County Tyrone, was arrested at Abu Dhabi airport in October while visiting friends.
Ballentine had worked at a dog grooming salon in Dubai earlier this year. After taking time off due to illness, he was registered as “absconded” with the UAE authorities, which prevented him from leaving the country. Ballentine later managed to get the travel ban lifted and returned to Northern Ireland, where he wrote a critical online review about his former employer.
When Ballentine returned to the UAE for a short holiday in late October, he was immediately arrested for the alleged slander. He has been accused of violating the UAE’s strict cybercrime laws and could face jail time. Ballentine’s family and friends have expressed panic and distress over the situation, and a campaign is underway to try to get him released and allowed to return home. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is providing support, and Northern Ireland’s First Minister has been asked to intervene with the UAE authorities.
